City concludes Asia tour with victory
Manchester City secured a 3-1 victory over Atletico Madrid in a friendly match held in Seoul, South Korea. This match marked City’s third and final fixture during their pre-season tour in Asia. The win came after City initially fell behind in the first half.
Atletico Madrid took the lead just before half-time. A corner from Koke was not fully cleared by City’s defence, allowing 16-year-old Jorge Dominguez to score past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma after receiving a setup from Morten Hjulmand.
City responded in the second half, with Omar Marmoush scoring two goals in quick succession. The equaliser came in the 57th minute when Antoine Semenyo kept the ball in play, drove into the penalty area, and delivered a low cross that Marmoush converted. Just two minutes later, the pair combined again for a nearly identical goal, with Marmoush finishing another low cross from Semenyo from the left flank.
The match was played in front of a crowd of over 50,000 spectators at the Seoul World Cup Stadium. A significant moment for the local fans was the second-half introduction of Atletico’s South Korea international, Lee Kang-in. Lee had an opportunity to level the score at 2-2 but his first-time effort from near the penalty spot went wide of the post.
Rayan Ait-Nouri sealed City’s 3-1 victory in injury time. He connected with a through ball from Divin Mubama and struck the ball low and hard into the bottom corner of the net.
Pre-season performances and player returns
This friendly against Atletico Madrid followed two other matches for City in Asia. They previously lost 3-1 on penalties to Inter Milan in Hong Kong on August 1, after the game finished 1-1. City then went on to beat a K League All-Stars team 3-1 in Seoul on a Wednesday.
The pre-season tour saw several key players absent, including Erling Haaland, Rodri, Rayan Cherki, Jeremy Doku, Marc Guehi, Nico O’Reilly, and Elliot Anderson. These players did not travel to Asia, with some having participated in the later stages of the World Cup.
The absence of Haaland, in particular, was noted in both Hong Kong and South Korea. However, the team’s performance, particularly the contributions from players like Semenyo and Marmoush, offered positive signs for the new-look side under Enzo Maresca. Semenyo, crashing in from the left flank, and Savinho on the opposite side, were productive in their roles.
The new coaching approach under Maresca has given wingers more freedom to roam, with instructions for those behind them to create one-on-one situations and deliver the ball into the box. This strategy generated several chances in the first half against Atletico, though some were not converted.
The team’s patience was rewarded around the hour mark with Marmoush’s two goals. While one of Marmoush’s goals was described as being offside, the overall intent from City was acknowledged. The return of Haaland to team training from next week is anticipated, as his movement and goal-scoring ability are considered significant assets.
City’s next fixture is scheduled for Sunday, August 16, when they will face reigning Premier League champions Arsenal in the Community Shield. This match will take place at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff and is seen as an important opportunity for Maresca to give game time to players who were involved in the World Cup.
Source: bbc.co.uk
